Paul Pierce retires as a member of the Celtics

The former captain, who spent 15 seasons in Boston, signed a ceremonial contract with the team Monday.

Jim Fenton The Enterprise @JFenton_ent

He never wanted to leave the Celtics after playing 15 seasons, a run that ended in the summer of 2013.

Paul Pierce always wanted to go wire to wire with the team that drafted him in 1998, but circumstances didn’t allow for that to happen.

With the Celtics heading into a rebuild mode following the 2012-13 season, Pierce and fellow future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets, ending his time in Boston.

Pierce returned to the Celtics on Monday, though, in order to retire from the NBA as a member of his original team.

The Celtics signed Pierce to a ceremonial contract at the team’s training facility in Waltham, bringing an official end to a 19-year career.

Pierce put on a Celtics shirt and took some shots on the practice floor, just like old times.

“It’s an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic,” Pierce said in a statement released by the team. “The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way. I’m a Celtic for life.”

Pierce took part in 1,102 games for the Celtics, third to only John Havlicek and Robert Parish, averaging 21.8 points and grabbing six rebounds.

He ranks second to Havlicek with 24,021 points and was the most valuable player of the NBA Finals when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.

Pierce and the Celtics had six losing seasons in the first nine years of his career, but the additions of Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007 turned things around.

“We’re honored that Paul has chosen to retire as a Celtic. He is among the very best Celtics – a champion on and off the court,” said Celtics governor and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck in a statement. “We congratulate Paul on a Hall of Fame career, and look forward to seeing his number raised to the rafters of TD Garden.”

Pierce’s last appearance at the Garden came on Super Bowl Sunday in February when he started for the Los Angeles Clippers.

After a brief appearance in the first half, Pierce sat on the bench until the final minute when coach Doc Rivers put him in the game for a curtain call.

Pierce responded by hitting a 3-pointer over Isaiah Thomas with 11 seconds left, drawing an amazing ovation from the capacity crowd that had been chanting his name all afternoon long.

“Fans really showered me with a lot of love,’’ said Pierce that day. “You really don’t know what you meant to a team while you’re playing. You don’t get a chance to reflect on it when you’re playing.

“It hit me a lot tonight. I’m sure it’s going to hit me a lot more when I’m done playing. This is something I truly felt tonight, an appreciation for what I’ve been able to give this city, but what they’ve been able to give me.’’

Pierce always embraced playing for the Celtics with the rich tradition of the franchise.

He grew from a youngster drafted out of Kansas to a Hall of Fame-caliber player.

“There’s not a lot of franchises around the NBA that are quite like the Boston Celtics,” said Pierce. “When you talk about history, talk about tradition and winning, there’s not a lot of franchises like that. To be part of this history meant a lot to me. You can’t say that about anywhere else too much.

“The retired numbers, the championship banners, I wanted to be a part of it. I talked to the former players, talked to Red Auerbach, Bill Russell. I wanted to be mentioned with those guys. I wouldn’t want to win nowhere else.”

After being traded to the Nets where he spent one season, Pierce was with the Washington Wizards for a year and was with the Clippers the past two seasons.

The Celtics received lucrative draft picks from the Nets, selecting Jaylen Brown in 2016 and Jayson Tatum this year. They also have Brooklyn’s first-round choice from the Pierce trade next June.

The team will be retiring Pierce’s No. 34 at some point in the future.